Hi! This chapter is posted a little early but I'm bored and I have nothing to do so here it is!
Onya entered the throne room after the guards opened the door for her.
The sun was finishing rising and the sky was gradually taking on this color mixed with blue and orange.
The first thing Onya noticed was Leksa's laughter. A soft, peaceful laugh, so light and understated it almost seemed unreal. Onya felt a shiver rise up her spine. It had been so long since she had heard that laugh she thought she was dreaming for a few seconds.
Leksa sat on her throne, her hands on her armrests, lips parted in a smile. The room was empty except for the Moon's Daughter.
Natshanagada was standing beside the throne, arms outstretched, eyes wide, telling a story with such speed that Onya did not understand much. She turned abruptly when she heard the door open, gritted her teeth and began to growl like an animal in Onya's direction, making Leksa laugh even more.
Onya raised an eyebrow and Natshana instantly stopped.
"I thought you were Titus," she explained, and Leksa put a hand over her mouth to hold back her laughter.
"I do not know if I should be offended that you are comparing me to him or proud that you hate him as much as I do."
"Can I choose?"
"No."
Leksa calmed down for a few seconds to retort:
"You should stop disrespecting him, he is the Fleimkepa."
"He has a broom up his ass," replied the Skaigada.
"He is not good for you, Leksa."
"The dude can't even take care of his own hair."
This time, it was Onya who laughed, in spite of herself. Leksa herself seemed to have difficulty restraining her smile. Delighted with her efficiency, Natshana beamed, her eyes shining.
"What are you doing here, anyway?" Natshana asked.
"I could ask you the same question."
"I'm Lexa's friend."
"I am looking for Tris. I promised I would help her find a new knife, she broke the last one."
"Damn. That kid is hardcore. Can I come with you?"
Onya frowned, wondering if taking Natshana with her was really a good idea. The day would be twice as long.
"Sure…" Onya replied suspiciously.
"Yay! Girls day out, we're going shopping!" The Skaigada exclaimed, hopping out of the room.
Leksa chuckled one last time as she watched her go.
"Good luck."
Onya rolled her eyes before chasing after Natshanagada who was whistling as she walked to the elevator.
"I know we've had this conversation before, but is it really wise to give a weapon to a kid?"
Onya really couldn't understand the Skaigada's dislike of training children. This was how they learned to survive. To be a warrior was a chance, an indisputable opportunity.
"Tris is not a kid anymore. She is brave and she knows how to use it. She has learned with weapon carved out of wood since she was six."
Natshana grimaced, seeming to hesitate to answer.
"If that's any reassurance, Tris doesn't have a sword to speak of yet. I will only give one to her when I am perfectly sure she is ready."
Natshanagda shrugged, not looking quite convinced.
Onya stepped out of the tower and down into the plaza, the Skaigada trotting alongside her. She still had a strange way of moving, as if her body was too heavy for her.
Tris was in the middle of a group of children, playing peacefully with knucklebones. Onya had to suppress a sad smile. The scene looked strangely like the time Leksa was playing with Costia.
"Tris!" Onya thundered.
The children straightened up, startled, Tris flushed with embarrassment. Onya probably could have kept her impressive air if the Sakaigada hadn't been happily hopping around, waving wide at Tris.
The girl ran up immediately, her friends ran away. Natshana gave her a huge smile.
"Hi, Tris!"
"Stop doing that," Onya grumbled.
It was over, now Tris would never take her seriously if Onya tried to scold her. Onya sighed, gave up.
"Come on. You need a new knife."
Delighted to get away with it so easily, Tris followed suit as Natshana hopped alongside them. The market invaded the streets of Polis in a joyful hubbub, the inhabitants wandered around chatting in their native language, vendors announced the prices of their goods. Every now and then Onya would see an old world item appear on a shelf, but many times no one knew what it was for, so no one would buy it.
Onya walked over to a weapons dealer, who featured daggers, daggers and swords, hidden behind his mask formed from the skeleton of an animal skull. She knew that Tris, still not very tall, needed a rather small weapon, in order to be able to wield it. As Onya watched the weapons, the voice of Natshana echoed behind her.
"Oh! Look!"
Her finger was pointed at a small grayish object, a sort of tube with strange slits, hanging from a cord above a display. The saleswoman was giving them a surprised look, as if she had no idea what it was.
"What is it?"
"It's a kazoo! It's a musical instrument. "
She walked over, turned to the saleswoman.
"Can I? Na ai?"
The woman nodded, puzzled to see this funny white woman who spoke their language with a strange accent. Natshana untied the small object, watching it carefully before bringing it to her lips. A distorted sound suddenly echoed, Tris jumped violently and almost fell backwards, the saleswoman herself raised her hand to the dagger tied to her belt.
Natshana pulled it out of her mouth, a smile on her face.
"One, two, three, four… One, two, three motherfucker!"
And she began to blow into the object again, pulling out a melody she seemed to master perfectly. Tris laughed, Natshana gesticulated happily, delighted at her new silliness and Onya could only look at her dumbfounded. When she felt her antics had gone on long enough, Natshanagada stopped breathing into the object and gave the saleswoman a huge smile.
"I'm taking it. Ai ste sis em op."
Stunned, the sales clerk turned to Onya, as if asking for her approval, and Onya just shrugged. The woman then announced the prize and Natshana took a few coins from her bag.
"Where did you get that?" Onya asked.
"It's a long story."
"Did you steal it?"
"Why do you automatically assume that I did? It's very rude. And no, I didn't steal anything. I'm an honest woman."
Onya glanced in Tris' direction, who obviously didn't seem to know how to react. With a smile on her face, Natshana put the musical instrument back into her bag.
"I'm gonna show it to Lexa."
"Please, do not."
"Oh, come on! The next time someone is mean to her, I'm gonna yell in kazoo."
"Do that and I will take it from you."
Natshana just rolled her eyes.